Posted on September 3, 2021

New Zealand Football Reviews ‘All Whites’ Nickname as Part of Cultural Inclusivity Project

Ben Church and John Sinnott, CNN, August 23, 2021

New Zealand Football (NZF) is reviewing its “All Whites” nickname as part of a cultural project run by the organization.

The moniker was attributed to the men’s national side during the country’s successful qualifying campaign for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, according to reports, due to the team’s all-white kit.

But NZF, the country’s football governing body, said it had sought feedback from stakeholders about whether all areas of the federation were still “fit for purpose.”

“As with many other national bodies, New Zealand Football is on a journey around cultural inclusivity and respecting the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” read a NZF statement, referring to the treaty signed between the British crown and Maori chiefs in 1840.

{snip}

The New Zealand women’s team is nicknamed the “Football Ferns,” while the country’s men’s rugby team is famously called the “All Blacks” after its iconic black kit.

{snip}